CAMPUSBOOKS.COM'S NEW SURVEY REVEALS SURPRISING TEXTBOOK PURCHASING HABITS, SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY AND TECHNOLOGY PREFERENCES AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

57% of Students Buy Their Own Books, Spend Nearly 19 Hours/Week on Social Media and More

(Chicago, IL) CampusBooks.com, a leading textbook price comparison website, today announced survey results of textbook purchasing habits as well as technology and social media preferences from over 1,000 college students across the country. The survey, conducted by Campbell Rinker, revealed a variety of findings including how nearly three in five students (57%) pay for their own textbooks, social media activity (with students spending an average of nearly 19 hours/week on social media sites), and how a surprising 91% of students report taking handwritten notes even though 96% of college students own a laptop, and more.

While Facebook may be losing its appeal to younger people, CampusBooks.com's survey revealed that college students spend an average of 7.6 hours on Facebook every week. In addition, college students spend nearly 5 hours on YouTube and almost 3 hours on Instagram and 3 hours on Twitter per week.

"This study reveals a great deal about a college student's preferences and habits, especially in terms of the amount of time college students spend on social media sites, use their phones and how they buy their textbooks," says Jeff Cohen, CEO of CampusBooks.com. "While every student's situation is unique, it is important that he or she is aware of the different options available when selecting college textbooks and materials."

While nearly half of all students (40%) reported that they have been assigned an eBook for a course, sentiments were highly polarized with 44% of students reporting they are somewhat or very happy using eBooks and 39% are somewhat or very unhappy using eBooks.

Other survey highlights include:

Textbooks

Nearly three in five students (57%) report paying for textbooks themselves

More than three in four students (77%) prefer to purchase used textbooks

85% percent of students purchase textbooks online

Half prefer to rent and one in four (25%) prefer to purchase new

Note-Taking

Nine in ten students (91%) report taking notes on paper

35% of students report taking notes on a laptop

Approximately 11% take notes on a tablet and 9% in the textbook

eBooks

Nearly half of all students (48%) have been assigned an eBook for a course

44% of students reporting they are somewhat or very happy using eBooks and 39% are somewhat or very unhappy using eBooks

Technology

Nearly all college students (96%) own a laptop

90% of college students own a smartphone

Students report spending 13.5 hours a week using a laptop for recreational purpose and spend the same amount of time, 13.5 hours on average, using their smartphones for recreational purposes.

Social Media

Facebook, Google, YouTube, Twitter, and Gmail are the most popular websites among college students with a majority of students maintaining Google+, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest accounts

92% of college students have a Facebook account and more than four in five (82%) have a YouTube account

College students spend an average of 7.6 hours on Facebook every week, nearly 5 hours on YouTube and almost 3 hours on Instagram and3 hours on Twitter per week

From eBooks to buying textbooks online, the study sheds light on a changing technological landscape for students and an inside look at how much time students are spending recreationally on laptops and social media platforms.

ABOUT CAMPUS BOOKS

CampusBooks.com carries over 8 million new and used college textbooks in one convenient location. The online resource searches thousands of sellers and compares prices on new and used books, rentals and e-books for students. For more information, visit www.campusbooks.com.